PREVIEW – The 2026 AFC Toronto season will be the second season in the NSL and AFC’s existence. The first year for all six NSL teams to make history in the first-ever professional women’s top-tier soccer league.
AFC Toronto will be one of the teams to beat for the other NSL sides. They won the NSL Supporters’ Shield last year and lost in the final of the NSL playoffs to the Vancouver Rise FC.
2026 AFC Toronto Season: What To Look Forward To?
Players Signed
Midfielders: Samantha Chang (Vancouver Rise FC) and Olivia Chisholm (Loaned from NDC Ontario)
Players Returning
Attackers: Kaylee Hunter, Esther Okoronkwo, and Lauren Rowe.
Midfielders: Colby Barnett, Zoe Burns, Nyota Katembo, April Lantaigne, Kaila Novak, Victoria Pickett, Nikayla Small, Sarah Stratigakis, and Cloey Uddenberg.
Defenders: Ashley Cathro, Kaela Hansen, Sarah Rollins, and Croix Soto.
Players Left
Forwards: Mya Jones (Calgary Wild FC), Leah Pais (Not Known), and Jade Kovacevic (Retired).
Midfielders: Aoi Kizaki (Stomilanki Olsztyn) and Emma Regan (Denver Summit FC).
Defenders: Hong Hye-ji (Not Known) and Sonia Walk (Not Known).
2026 AFC Toronto Season: What To Look Forward To?
Young Players To Watch: Kaylee Hunter and Olivia Chisholm
READ MORE: Kaylee Hunter: Promising Canadian Teenager for AFC Toronto
It is hard to believe that Kaylee Hunter is still only 18-years-old. In her rookie season, she scored 14 goals and dished out six assists.
Her accolades with the team included winning the inaugural NSL Supporters’ Shield and receiving individual accolades such as the NSL Rookie of the Year and being part of the league’s Team of the Season.
AFC Toronto management also saw something special in her. This is what AFC Toronto sporting director said about Hunter, comparing her to Olivia Smith, who was involved in a record transfer fee in women’s soccer that sent her from Liverpool to Arsenal (Source: CFJC Today):
“Kaylee’s an exceptional talent,” said Wilson. “I was fortunate enough to work with Olivia Smith (a Canadian international now with England’s Liverpool) as a youth player. There are a lot of similarities. Different players, but in terms of generational talent, I think there’s a remarkable player that we have on our hands here.”
There is then Olivia Chisholm. She was named the 2025 Canada Soccer Young Player of the Year. This is what AFC Toronto head coach, Marko Milanovic, said about Chisholm playing with AFC, according to Anne-Marie Mediwake’s interview on the CTV Your Morning YouTube Account with AFC’s Olivia Chisholm:
“Her physical profile is very impressive. She’s fast, she’s strong, she’s one of the players that’s really up and coming and promising. Her personality is incredible.”
Milanovic would also go on to talk more about her character and her debut in the NSL against the Calgary Wild FC in the same interview:
With the success of Hunter, if Chisholm shows a similar type of success with AFC this year, they are building an incredible core of young players at the club.
Playing at Two Permanent Venues
For the first time in the club team’s history, AFC Toronto will play at BMO Field as a permanent venue. This is what AFC Toronto midfielder, Samantha Chang, said to the author of this article back in February about playing there:
“Yeah, I mean, it’s going to be absolutely amazing. I cannot even put into words how great it is that the AFC was able to secure half the home games there at BMO,” Chang said. “It’s just going to mean even more representing my hometown team in the hometown stadium that I grew up going to as a little girl.”
READ MORE: Samantha Chang: A Homegrown Player from the GTA (Part One)
Unfortunately, Chang got injured and will not play to start the 2026 NSL season. Still, this is a sentiment that many AFC Toronto players currently have. This is especially true for those who grew up in the Golden Horseshoe.
AFC Toronto Academy Is Coming Up
This is a big step for the club. Until this announcement, the only NSL who had this honour was the Vancouver Rise FC. AFC Toronto becomes just the second NSL club to achieve this, as this is what was said in the AFC Toronto website:
“Canada Soccer is committed to developing top young talent in the strongest environments possible,” said Mathieu Chamberland, Chief of Soccer Operations & Associate General Secretary. “After extensive collaboration with FIFA and all Northern Super League clubs, we determined that transitioning the NDC Ontario program to AFC Toronto beginning this August is the right step for the future of Canada’s women’s development pathway.”
The academy will probably not have an immediate effect on the club and the CANWNT. However, the long-term effects of this will be massive. It takes time to build something, and AFC Toronto is taking almost immediate action on this to help improve the game here in Canada.
AFC Toronto: Things That Need To Be Addressed
Who is Going to be AFC Toronto’s New Captain?
Emma Regan, the first-ever captain of AFC Toronto, is now a member of the NWSL’s Denver Summit FC. While it was a transaction that put the NSL on the map, it also meant that AFC Toronto does not have a captain as of right now.
A regular contributor to AFC Toronto and the CANWNT/CANXNT, Emma Regan was probably one of the best three players on AFC, along with Kaylee Hunter and Esther Okoronkwo. A captain of the team, Regan had played every minute for AFC Toronto.
More importantly, it creates a question of who could be the new captain of AFC Toronto. There are some good examples of who could be the captain. Looking at international players, Nigeria’s Esther Okoronkwo and America’s Croix Soto could be ideal candidates. The former had a stellar year last year, and Soto was a leader in the backline.
As for Canadian players, the one that comes up is Kaylee Hunter. Although only 18-years-old, Hunter could become the captain of the team after such a strong year.
However, among Canadian players, the ones who might have the best chance are Victoria Pickett and Nikayla Small. Small was really impressive in her debut season with AFC Toronto, and Pickett is a veteran Canadian midfielder with experience in the NWSL.
Who is Going to Step Up at the Midfield Position?
With Chang’s injury and Emma Regan’s departure, there is a spot that needs to be filled at the midfield position. Chang can play as a box-to-box midfielder (number 8) or as a holding midfielder (number 6), as mentioned in Neil Davidson’s The Canadian Press article.
One notable player who might get more playing time is Olivia Chisholm. The 2025 Canada Soccer Young Player of the Year will be a key player for the club. This might mean that AFC might need to rely on her more than initially expected after Chang’s unfortunate injury.
READ MORE: Sarah Rollins: A Key Defender for AFC Toronto
Games Coming Up For AFC Toronto
READ MORE: 2025 AFC Toronto Season: NSL Supporters’ Shield Champions
The first home game for AFC Toronto will be on April 24 on the road at BC Place against the Vancouver Rise FC. This will be the rematch of last year’s NSL Final. AFC will then host their first home game of 2026 against the Halifax Tides FC on May 3 at BMO Field, as mentioned by the AFC Toronto website.
Photo Credit: Northern Super League on November 15, 2025 (AFC Toronto supporters’ group, Vermilion Vanguard, at BMO Field).
